Sometimes.....

[Peace]

... I would be better off just going to bed.  First off, let me say, I know better.

 

     Last night I was cleaning my LWRC M6 and did something I never do.  I used a plastic swab loop.  Well, it got stuck, and the aluminum rod (something else I'll never do again) started to bend as I was trying to push it through.  It was just past the chamber, and when I tried to pull it back out, (I know) the plastic loop broke off in the barrel.

 

     ugh.  In my (now late-night) insanity, after not being able to push it through, I ran the rod through the muzzle (even better, right?) and tried to ram it back - in the process I reamed some aluminum off of the rod with my crown.....  at that point, I came to my senses a bit; I stopped and went in and sat down for a while  - with the jag still in the barrel.  (wondering if I had just "purchased" a new 16" - spiral fluted barrel - with an obstruction and possible ruined crown - might as well upgrade)

 

     Eventually, I filled up the barrel with CLP from both ends, and used shorter pieces of the rod to hammer the jag out from the breach (I had a breach guard/guide in this whole time).  After that, I got out my perfectly functional Otis kit (since I couldn't find my TIME MACHINE!!) and cleaned the barrel and soaked and sprayed the crown to get all of the aluminum off of it.  Why didn't I do that to start with?  I finally got to bed around 1:00am.

 

     All in all, it could've been worse, but the crown may be toast.  Anyone have thoughts on an aluminum rod vs a nicor'd CHF barrel?  The inside of the barrel looks flawless, the crown looks like it may have been reamed a bit - not sure what it looked like before.  I'm guessing I'll call LWRC today and ask about having it recrowned.  

 

Lesson learned: If you have any cleaning gear that you wouldn't use on any one rifle, maybe just throw it away now, so that you won't be tempted to use it when you have a "attack of laziness".

 

- hopefully this can help someone else avoid this.  

 

 

 

 

[peejman]

Aluminum cleaning rod vs. hardened steel barrel?  I wouldn't worry about it.  You're probably just seeing some discoloration where the Al rubbed off on the steel.  You said it yourself, the barrel removed metal from the rod, not vice versa. 

[mikegideon]

Aluminum cleaning rod vs. hardened steel barrel?  I wouldn't worry about it.  You're probably just seeing some discoloration where the Al rubbed off on the steel.  You said it yourself, the barrel removed metal from the rod, not vice versa. 

 

That's what I was thinking. Shoot it with some good ammo and see how it groups. 

[Oh Shoot]

What is a "plastic swab loop"?

 

- OS

[Lumber_Jack]

What is a "plastic swab loop"?

 

- OS

 

you know the little plastic tip that you thread the cleaning patch throug.  They come standard in most "off the shelf" cleaning kits

[Oh Shoot]

you know the little plastic tip that you thread the cleaning patch throug.  They come standard in most "off the shelf" cleaning kits

 

Ah, of course. I was thinking of some kind of stringed thing. Thanks.

 

- OS

[Peace]

:pleased:  peejman, hopefully you are right.  It has just been drilled into my head how critical (and maybe mythologically fragile) the crown is.  

 

As for the loop-thingy.  I don't think it is technically a jag, so I don't know what the heck to call it.

 

If the barrel shoots like a flint-lock smooth bore, I"ll report back.

[RED333]

Ya ruined your rifle, send it to me for proper testing,with LOTS of ammo.

I will report in a few days to weeks. :squint:

 

JK, I am with the others, your rifle is fine, but if you are worried, reread the first 2 lines.

[peejman]

:pleased:  peejman, hopefully you are right.  It has just been drilled into my head how critical (and maybe mythologically fragile) the crown is.  

 

As for the loop-thingy.  I don't think it is technically a jag, so I don't know what the heck to call it.

 

If the barrel shoots like a flint-lock smooth bore, I"ll report back.

 

 

All the crown does is protect the bore.  It sticks out so when (not if, when) you whack the muzzle on something, you ding the crown and not the bore itself.  A nick in the crown is fairly easily fixed.  A nick in the bore, not so much. 

 

That's a really nice rifle and I'm sure the idea of damaging it turns your stomach (as it would mine), but consider the conditions under which its intended to function. No need to panic. 

[Clod Stomper]

...but consider the conditions under which its intended to function. No need to panic.

This.

[whitewolf001]

Ah, of course. I was thinking of some kind of stringed thing. Thanks.

 

- OS

 

You mean you can use Tampons for this sort of thing?

[whitewolf001]

:pleased:  peejman, hopefully you are right.  It has just been drilled into my head how critical (and maybe mythologically fragile) the crown is.  

 

As for the loop-thingy.  I don't think it is technically a jag, so I don't know what the heck to call it.

 

If the barrel shoots like a flint-lock smooth bore, I"ll report back.

 

Basic metalurgy, metal cannot do harm to another metal of a much greater hardness, i.e. Steel vs Alum, Steel wins, especially steel from a barrel, that stuff is generally Cryogenically hardened at least on most high end AR's and LWRC is a high end. If you don't feel safe with it I'd be happy to buy it off you, you know, at reduced price, it IS damaged and all now.

Edited September 17, 2013 by whitewolf001

[Peace]

UPDATE:  I went back to the range yesterday to sight in a "new to me" scope.  I couldn't group at 25 yards.  It was left, it was right ... consistently up, then consistenly down.   Weird, weird, weird.  I wasted a lot of ammo - thinking it was me.  Then I remembered.

 

I'll contact LWRC and see what they say.